I’ve noticed something in homes lately—maybe you have too. We used to gather around the fireplace. Now we gather around the flat screen.
Walk into most new homes or renovated living rooms, and you’ll find the TV mounted proudly above the fireplace like some kind of glowing family crest. It’s front and center. The focal point. The king of the castle. But is that really where we want our attention drawn?
Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not anti-TV. I’ve spent plenty of Friday nights with the kids watching old movies, and I’ll be the first to admit that football season finds me glued to the screen. But there’s something about the placement of the TV that’s worth talking about.
Think back a couple generations. Back when homes were built around the hearth. The fireplace wasn’t just a decoration, it was the warm, flickering center of the home. Families didn’t sit and stare at it—they sat around it. They talked. They played games. Told stories. Debated who cheated at Monopoly. It was a place of connection, not consumption.
But now and for quite some time, the TV has taken that place—literally and symbolically. Also, no more is the TV just a place to watch one or two of our favorite shows or even cartoons on a Saturday morning. The TV has become a “Media Center”, the giant screen where we interact more with stats, internet feedback, live streamed as we take in various spoonfed color, sound and content. Mounting a screen above the fireplace says, “This is what we’re here for.” It silently sets the expectation: This is not a room for conversation, it’s a room for watching.
I get the appeal. It’s convenient. Space-saving. Aesthetically modern. But it’s also a bit... telling.
We don’t build homes around conversation anymore—we build them around content. And while that content can be fun, educational, even bonding at times, it can also quietly edge out the moments that matter most. The spontaneous chats. The family jokes. The “remember when...” stories that come out when the screens are off and the eyes meet.
I’m not saying ditch the TV. But maybe we think a little harder about where we put it. Could it live off to the side? In a cabinet that closes? On a rolling stand you can move when it’s not movie night? Could the fireplace—if you’re lucky enough to have one—go back to being the warm heart of the home instead of a TV stand?
Home should be a place of presence, not just presentation.
So maybe the question isn’t just where the TV goes—but what we want our homes to say about who we are and how we connect.
Just a thought from a Dad who misses the glow of the fire more than the glow of the screen.